Profile and high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in an urban black African population

K Tibazarwa, University of the WitwatersrandL Ntyinyane, University of the WitwatersrandK Sliwa, University of the WitwatersrandT Gerntholtz, University of the WitwatersrandD Wilkinson, University of QueenslandSimon Stewart, Baker Heart Research Institute

Given the increase in incidence of coronary heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa, this study set out to raise awareness on CVD risk factors; and establish a baseline profile of CVD risk in the population of Soweto, South Africa.
Convenience sampling was used over a 6-month period to screen participants presenting to a fixed monitoring stand in Soweto, the largest black residential area in South Africa. Measurements were taken for blood pressure and BMI, and blood tested for random blood glucose and cholesterol.
A total of 1127 participants were screened. 75% of the population had at least one major risk factor for CVD, two-thirds having high BMI and 40% being severely overweight. Almost a third of screened persons had raised blood pressure raised, while 13% had raised blood cholesterol levels.
These findings strongly suggest a high prevalence of risk factors for CVD in this urban black African population of Soweto.

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